


Bitter Lightning

by AbstractionDesolation



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: How I think Infinity War will end, Hurt No Comfort, I Don't Even Know, I Will Burn Things Down if This Happens in the Movie, I'm Sorry, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 03:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13538409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbstractionDesolation/pseuds/AbstractionDesolation
Summary: The battle with Thanos is over. Everyone is licking their wounds. Mourning their losses.





	Bitter Lightning

After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t died before. The Bi-frost. Svartalheim. He was sure there were more. What was this, then, but another opportunity stolen to artfully disappear and reappear dramatically. 

The battle against Thanos had been hard-fought and barely won. Enemies and friends alike had fallen in the skirmish. The Wakandans had lost many warriors. The Avengers had fared better, not losing any one, but Natasha, Bucky and Hawkeye were down for the count. The Guardians mourned the loss of the scarred giant, Drax. Everyone left standing huddled close, coming down from the adrenaline rush that had been war.

But Thor…

Thor knelt alone amongst the smoking craters, the bloody bodies, and stared at the splayed figure of his brother. Loki lay next to him, black leather armor cut and running with crimson, golden horns knocked aside. His face was pale beneath a tangle of wild ebony hair and the trace of a smirk touched his lips though his brilliant green eyes remained closed.

“Loki…” Thor’s voice was a low murmur, meant not for anyone but his brother. “Loki. Come now. I tire of this game and want not to play a third time.” He braced, waiting for the laugh, or even the dagger in the side that he had come to expect from his prone sibling.

Thor leaned closer, glancing at the long slash from shoulder to opposite hip that still bled into the ground beneath him. It was a fearsome wound, vicious and deep. Thor’s breath caught, but he refused to acknowledge it.

“Loki.” He reached out and brushed the hair from Loki’s smudged cheek. His head lolled bonelessly, turning with the small pressure. He yanked his hand back as though he was baiting a cobra, but no strike came.

A dull dread had settled into his gut and he placed two trembling fingers on the smooth neck as he had seen others do for fallen comrades. He waited, feeling nothing but a horrible stillness. Loki’s skin was cool, but not abnormal for … for a Jotun. He fought back the insane urge to chuckle. Loki would kill him if he knew he was thinking about that other form hidden beneath the Aesir glamor.

Thor collapsed forward, closing the small distance he had left between them in case of knife threat. Somehow, he didn’t think one was coming this time. “Loki… brother…” His voice trembled, and his eye blurred with tears as he pressed his palm to Loki’s unrising chest over his heart, the heart that no longer beat. His hand covered part of the gash. He saw it now… the way the blade had ripped through leather and flesh, bone and muscle, cutting brutally through any chance of survival. He looked off to the side, turning his head to take in the body of the enemy that had obviously been the attacker. It had a large blade in its hand, the edge dull with drying blood. It had a large burn mark across its torso and its head was blackened. Loki had struck back with his Seidr… but apparently not fast enough.

Thor looked back to his brother and choked back a bitter sound. The enemy was vanquished, the battle won. Loki should be laughing, smirking, trading barbs with his temporary allies, threatening his next glorious plan to take on the Avengers.

But he wasn’t.

And he never would again.

Blue crackled across Thor’s skin as anger and pain built in him. The others turned to watch, but he didn’t care. A roar bubbled up from his chest and he released it to the world. One long, ragged, painful sound, containing all the feelings he’d had when Loki had “died” before and more.

The others ran to him but didn’t dare to touch him as his skin continued to glow with tracers of blue light.

“Oh my god.” He didn’t know who spoke, but it was hushed, awed.

“Thor? Is he…?” Man of Iron stepped up, hand out as if to touch Thor’s shoulder but he paused when static reached out and fizzed between skin and glove.

“He’s truly gone.” Thor’s voice quavered as he gathered Loki’s limbs to him and cradled him to his chest.

“Thor, this is Loki we’re talking about. Are you sure he’s not fa-“

“HE IS DEAD!” The words were bellowed, followed by a harsh sound that may have been a choked sob. Thunder rolled from the sky as clouds formed and roiled above them.

The others looked chastened but not all of them were convinced. Tony’s dark eyes were curious and a little scared. His glove retracted and he cautiously placed his fingers to Loki’s throat, careful to not brush Thor’s skin as he held his brother tight to his chest.

“No pulse.” Tony’s voice was quiet. “Thor, how did you “know” he was dead last time? Did he have a pulse?”

Thor shook his head, gaze never leaving his brother’s face and he spoke in a broken voice. “I never checked. I saw him fall, heard his words, felt his breath cease. I never thought to check for a pulse. But this… this wound…” He loosened his grip, Loki falling away from him to reveal the long slash to Tony. Tony’s breath hissed in as he saw the damage but he didn’t speak again.

Lightning streaked across the now dark sky, thunder rumbling like a wakened animal as Thor laid his brother down again. “Step back, Man of Iron.” He motioned Tony away and took a step back from the body.

“Uh, Point Break? What are you doing?” Tony took a few steps back, staring as Thor raised his arms. Electricity buzzed through the air, making Tony’s hair stand on end. With one tremendous boom, lightning struck the ground in front of them. They both fell back, Tony covering his face with a forearm. When the incredible glow and noise faded, they both looked back. Loki’s body was gone.

Thor fell to his knees again and cried.


End file.
